1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to gaming machines, and more particularly to gaming machines such as slot machines or the like that have a variable display for displaying image information representative of a plurality of symbols necessary for a game and a controller such as a microcomputer for controlling the variation action of the variable display.
2. Description of the Related Art
A gaming machine such as a slot machine usually has a mechanical variable display formed of rotatable display elements that are provided with a plurality of symbols disposed on peripheral surfaces thereof. The symbols are visible through a display window at the front of the slot machine. Alternatively, an electrical variable display is formed of indicating elements with symbols on a display screen. In response to a xe2x80x9cstartxe2x80x9d operation by a player, a controller drives the variable display to start the rotation of each rotatable display element and to stop the rotation of each rotatable display element in a determined sequence automatically after a predetermined period of time has elapsed, or in response to initiation of a xe2x80x9cstopxe2x80x9d operation by the player. When the rotation of all of the rotatable display elements has ceased, there is shown a specific combination of symbols (winning pattern) in the display window. The player is then given an award by paying out gaming medium such as coins. In a recent popular model of a gaming machine, a xe2x80x9cwinxe2x80x9d corresponding to a predetermined plurality of winning symbols being completely positioned on the effective line of the display when rotation of the rotatable display elements ceases occurs only when a win has been established by a system internal to the gaming machine. In a practical machine, this happens when a sampling operation of a random number issued by a microcomputer has been determined to constitute a win.
The reason why such gaming machines have become popular is that if the particular symbols that appear on the display when the rotatable display elements are stopped were to depend completely on the stop operation, or timing, of the player, the end result (i.e., win or loss) of the game would be responsive to the skill of the player. Consequently, only the relative abilities of the players would be emphasized, and the wholesomeness of the game would be compromised. A further reason for the popularity of such machines is that their designers have solved a number of problems related to management of the pay out rate of the coins for amusement shops.
In such known gaming machines, a microcomputer decides which symbols are to be displayed when the display variation ceases, and controls the stopping of the variation action to display the predetermined symbols. It is often difficult for the player to wait for symbols to be displayed when the variation in the display stops, and until such time, the player merely waits to obtain the result. There is a need, therefore, for a gaming machine that overcomes the known problems relating to obtaining the winning indication from the display.
In one effort at alleviating these problems, for example, there is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Kokai (Laid-Open) No. 8-206328 a gaming machine that is provided with a game indication device that operates in response to the occurrence of a predetermined winning condition. When a winning condition occurs on this game indication device, the gaming machine is itself caused to assume a winning condition. With such gaming machine, the player can enjoy a xe2x80x9cbig hitxe2x80x9d for a period of time while the xe2x80x9cbig hitxe2x80x9d condition is completed. Moreover, the probability of occurrence of a hit is increased. This known arrangement, however, is operated for the duration of the winning condition of the gaming machine. This means that the game indication device does not work till a result of the game performed by the gaming machine itself is obtained. Therefore, the gaming machine is not different from the conventional gaming machine in that the player must wait over a period from beginning of the game to the time when the result of the game is obtained.
Further, there is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Kokai (Laid-Open) No. 8-10385 slot machine that is provided with a second display unit in addition to the main variable display for displaying a plurality of symbols. In this slot machine, a game in the second display unit is performed in determined time (service time) when a game can be performed without coin insertion by interrupt control. Also, the game of the second display unit is performed during the service time and occurs after the completion of the usual game. This means that the second display does not operate when the main display for performing the original game of slot machine is working.
Therefore, this further known gaming machine does not solve the problems discussed above with respect to certain conventional gaming machines in that the player has to wait from beginning of the game to the time when the result of the game is obtained. Thus, in conventional gaming machines, if a further display device is provided in addition to the variable display, the player merely watches signals varying on the variable display over the duration of the main game.
An object of this invention is to provide a gaming machine that prevents a player from becoming bored due to the monotonous action of the variable display while waiting for the result of the game on a variable display. This is achieved by presenting indications on a separate display during the period of the game that is being performed on the variable display in the form of image information that is representative of a plurality of symbols necessary for the playing of the game. The separate display is disposed so as to be easily viewed by a player who desires to pay attention to the variable display.
In accordance with the invention, a gaming machine is provided with a variable display for displaying principal graphical information corresponding to at least one of a plurality of principal graphical elements; each principal graphical element having a predetermined significance in a principal game of the gaming machine; a secondary display for displaying secondary graphical information having a display portion positioned below the display portion of the variable display; and a controller for producing a first control signal that controls the variable display to display the principal graphical information as a sequential progression of the principal graphical elements, and a second control signal to control the secondary display to display the secondary graphical information corresponding to a result of the principal game.
The controller controls variation action of the variable display during the gaming period. The result of the game, that is, the indication of xe2x80x9cwinxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9closs,xe2x80x9d appears depending upon the particular symbols that are shown when the variation action has stopped. The variable display is controlled by the controller to determine the symbols that are to be shown when the variation of symbols in the variable display is stopped in response to the game result, and also to stop the variation so as to show the determined symbols to the player. An image that is determined by the controller is displayed on the secondary display, which may be different from the variable display. Consequently, a player, by viewing the secondary display, can predict or expect a result of the game during the variation of symbols, i.e., before the variable display is stopped.
The image that is determined in response to the control of the variable display may include indication of control states corresponding to a type of game result (such as win or loss, kinds of wins, etc.) determined by the controller. In addition, the determined image may include a game display that is necessary for performing individual or separate games from that being played on the variable display. Such a determination of the images is performed by the controller. In embodiments where the secondary display includes a display control unit to determine the displayed image in response to a command from the controller, the determination of the images is performed by the display control unit.
Since the player must pay attention to the variation of the variable display and watch the separate indication on the secondary display, the variable display and the separate indication are preferably included in the field of the player""s vision. In one embodiment, the display position of the secondary display is disposed below the display position of the variable display. Therefore, the player can see the display of the secondary display by moving his eyes only a small distance from the variable display. Moreover, the lower position of the secondary display captures the attention of the player. The player can easily watch the separate display while simultaneously paying attention to the indication of the variable display.
The secondary display may include electric displays such as liquid crystal, CRT, and LED, as well as mechanical displays having rotating display elements of structure as are used in conventional slot machines. The images displayed by the secondary display may be distinguished from each other by using various kinds of characters and figures, animations, lights flashing on and off, and the like. The images for the secondary display can be classified into several kinds, such as xe2x80x9cprognosticxe2x80x9d images, that lead the player to believe that a particular display, such as a xe2x80x9cbig hit,xe2x80x9d is to occur, images indicating promotion of a xe2x80x9cbig hit,xe2x80x9d images indicating a xe2x80x9cbig hit,xe2x80x9d images indicating a xe2x80x9closs,xe2x80x9d images giving expectation for a xe2x80x9cbig hitxe2x80x9d to the player. For example, the memory of a microcomputer can store such images as data.
In accordance with one embodiment of this invention, the variable display has a plurality of movable display units disposed parallel side-by-side, the secondary display being provided below the display position of a specified movable display unit that is controlled by the controller to stop last.
Because the secondary display is provided below the display position of a specified movable display unit that is controlled to stop last, and therefore, the player easily see the indication of the secondary display without moving his eyes from the moving indication of the movable display unit. Furthermore, since the images indicated are within the field of the player""s vision, the player can recognize the connection or corresponding relationship between the images and the results obtained when the variable display stops.
In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, the variable display is controlled so that a movable display unit in the middle position is stopped last and the secondary display is disposed below the middle movable display unit.
Among the plurality of movable display units disposed parallel side-by-side, the movable display unit of the middle position is controlled to stop last, and the secondary display is provided immediately below the movable display unit of the middle position. As a result, when it appears that a state is reached where a winning pattern can be obtained if one more special symbol may be displayed, even it the player looks to the left or to the right, the images displayed in the middle position are within the field of the player""s vision, easily attracting the player""s attention. Furthermore, since the secondary indication is disposed in the middle position, the player easily can see the indication and therefore, large movement of the eyes is not required, resulting in reduced fatigue.
In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, the controller is arranged to produce the second control signal in response to the principal graphical information representing the result of the principal game, selects the specified secondary graphical information corresponding to the second control signal, and controls the secondary display to display the specified secondary graphical information.
In accordance with yet another embodiment of the invention, the secondary graphical information has a predetermined significance in a secondary game shown in the secondary display. The controller produces the second control signal in response to the principal graphical information representing the result of the principal game, selects the specified secondary graphical information corresponding to the second control signals, and controls the secondary display to play the secondary game.